Animal Crackers

Because I thoroughly enjoyed this new-old film despite, or in spite of, my advanced age of 51. Great, strong actors and a family dynamic with much heart and love. The dialogue is smart and doesn't condescend to the audience. Sure, the plot could be seem as stale as those cookies, but the fun animation, exuberance of the actors, and exciting action make an oft-used plot feel new. Finally, there is no moralizing about a topic du jour, unless, maybe, one thinks an unbreakable familial bond is preaching.

REVIEW - ANIMAL CRACKERS

Why do I do it?

I try to keep abreast of the latest movies so I can review them and saw the write up for this so thought I'd give it a try.

Ok I'm not the target audience for this as I'm 51 years old and not 6 but here goes.

Animated film and what attracted me to it was the sheer amount of stars doing the voice over for this include Danny Devito and Sylvester Stalone.

Actually quite good, kept me interested anyway, not really the humour for adults and there isn't really any dual humour, one joke for kids and one for adults that the kids won't understand but enjoyed it none the less.

Interesting story, set in modern times using mobile phones etc. Animation very good and a great way to waste 90 minutes with your kids who will just love this film.

Definitely a family sit around the TV movie.

Rating 7 out of 10

This is an enjoyable film. Viewers shouldn't go into this expecting Pixar, nor a lot of humor. This is a cute and fun story, albeit a somewhat cookie-cutter plot line. The performances are good, the overall story line holds together, and it offers a decent ending. It never came across as boring or juvenile (a flaw of many poor animations). It should prove entertaining for children and adults alike. I especially enjoyed the husband-wife relationship of the two main characters; they were well-developed and well-portrayed. A bit of cliche here, but fun cliche. Well worth watching.

If you're a parent checking reviews for "Family Movie Night", and you go in to this with moderate expectations, you're family will be entertained. The animation is on par with Abominable or Madagascar so rest assured it's not a cheaply made production. Harmless plot with no agenda. My 9 year old son loved it and I wasn't glued to my phone out of boredom (my own rating system). If I reach for the phone in the first 10 minutes I'm in for a rough 90 mins of kid, cinema, torture. This one's absolutely good enough for a family movie night. No phone required, so go for it!

Animal Crackers was a rather pleasant surprise. Despite being based on Animal Cracker cookies of all things, the movie managed to exceed my expectations with its creativity, humor, style, and voice acting. The movie follows Owen and Zoe Huntington who, along with their daughter, inherit not only Owen's uncle's Circus, but also a box of Animal Crackers that allows who ever eats them to take the form of that animal. But that's an EXTREMELY paired down synopses because there's also a long standing feud with Owen's still living uncle Horatio, animosity between Owen and his father in law, a subplot involving a dog biscuit flavor like people food, and a few other speed bumps along the way. However, while the story can sometimes feel overcluttered with too many moving parts, it does make up for it with its creativity and economically delivered style. This is not a Pixar or Dreamworks movie so it's best to set your expectations before hand. With that said, despite this being an independently produced animated film it still looks vibrant with lots of details including a very well staged scene set to Queen's Don't Stop Me Now that's filled with creative transitions, smooth animation, and vibrant colors. The movies third act falls apart at the end especially since the antagonists does an abrupt turn and changes character from an egotistical jerk to a power mad villain bent on world domination(yes, seriously), but even despite its faults I do recommend it because it is well made, the performances are well delivered with good chemistry between the actors and you can certainly do worse in terms of family films. So marginal recommendation.